Find your pashmina: fabric, size and colour

The measurements are width × length. A 30 × 150 cm scarf is a narrow neck piece; 45 × 200 cm gives more length for looping. The 55 × 200 cm classic blend sits between the large scarf and the 70 cm stole. At 90 × 200 cm, a shawl offers fuller shoulder and back coverage. Pure cashmere comes in four widths; the cashmere & silk blend in five. Bespoke sizes are shown separately.

The classic pure range is 100% cashmere. The classic blend is 70% cashmere and 30% silk. Ring is a separate fine cashmere weave. Compare the product pictures and real fabric swatches rather than assuming the fabrics will look or fall identically.

Screen colour varies with your display and the light. Compare a physical swatch with your outfit when an exact match matters. Named shades are distinct: Dark Navy is mp120, Parisian Blue is mp115 and Natural White is mp1. Ivory is not automatically Natural White. A nearby shade is an alternative, not an exact match.

In stock means we have it here. Preorder dates are when we expect the stock in; each piece is dispatched when it arrives. Bespoke is made to order on the current schedule. Allow time to check the colour against your outfit. If your event is sooner than the estimate, choose a piece in stock, or contact us before ordering.

30 × 150 cm is 12 × 59 in; 45 × 200 cm is 18 × 79 in; 55 × 200 cm is 22 × 79 in; 70 × 200 cm is 28 × 79 in; 90 × 200 cm is 35 × 79 in. If in doubt, choose the 70 × 200 cm stole. Larger still, 130 × 200 cm (51 × 79 in) is the size we usually make cashmere blankets in, and most styles of pashmina can be made to order in it.

Classic pashminas: the yarn

The classic pashminas, in 70% cashmere with 30% silk or in pure cashmere, are woven from 2-ply, 28-count yarn. The pure cashmere ones get better the more you use them: with use, the cashmere fibres get slightly brushed, which makes the pashmina appear thicker and softer with time.

Angelweave: 90% cashmere, 10% silk

The warp (the lengthways threads) is silk. The weft is hand-spun cashmere, spun between finger and thumb in Kathmandu. Many hours go into each Angelweave pashmina.

Pure silk scarves: 210 count

210 count means that 210 metres of the yarn weighs 1 gram. For silk this is the finest quality: a light, floaty scarf that feels soft rather than scratchy. The tassels are hand twisted in the traditional way.

What is ply?

Ply is the number of strands wound around each other. Our classic pashminas are 2-ply. Our fine ring pashminas are single ply. Some thicker pieces, such as herringbone scarves, are 4-ply, and some blankets are 6-ply or 8-ply.

What is count?

Count is the thickness of the spun yarn: the number of metres of yarn that weigh 1 gram. The raw cashmere is the same whatever the count; it is simply spun thinner or thicker. Pieces woven with a higher (finer) count are lighter and floatier, with a silkier feel. They take longer to make and cost more.

Bamboo and cashmere: 80% bamboo, 20% cashmere

Soft and silky against the skin. It feels cool when you first put it on, but keeps you warm, though not as warm as pure cashmere. The fabric has a slight sheen without being shiny, and most pieces in it are dyed with vegetable dyes.

Cashmere knitwear: the yarn

Most of our knitwear is pure cashmere, knitted from 2-ply, 28-count yarn (written 28/2). Slightly thicker styles are 4-ply, and the chunkiest knitwear is 8-ply or even 10-ply. A higher count gives a thinner, lighter knit with a silkier feel. Pure cashmere is soft and warm and does not itch: the fibre is the soft undercoat of the cashmere goat. Adding silk makes a garment a little heavier, with a slight sheen, and costs a little less.

Finishing the ends: tassels, open fringe or hemmed

Tassels are the traditional finish and the one most people choose: about 7 cm (3 in) long, hand rolled, with a knot at the end, they add a little weight so the pashmina hangs well. An open fringe leaves the ends open, trimmed even, from 0.5 cm to about 4 cm; delicate cloths such as Angelweave have a silk locking selvedge before the fringe so they cannot come undone. A hemmed end is folded over by 0.5 to 1 cm and stitched: strong and tidy. On a bespoke pashmina you choose the finish.